all inclusive or not???

Hi everyone! Congrats to all the future brides! A big debate in our house right now is if we should do all inclusive or not. I think we and our guests will save a lot of money and worry less abou t budget. My FI thinks if we get a good rate at a non all inclusive it would cost less for all. I work for a large hotel chain so will probably be able to get good room rates but food and liquor add up! Thoughts?? Help me persuade him! Amanda

Great question. In some ways, your style and the type of wedding you hope to have will drive your choice. The AIs tend to have more weddings, even multiple weddings on the same day. Many of them have a lot of rooms, which translates into lots of gawkers at your wedding, maybe even people in beachwear in the photos. Smaller, boutique hotels avoid this and, as Ali and Jonathan said, give you the opportunity to visit a variety of local restaurants.

We have a blog post about the differences between the two on the Riviera Maya. We hope it helps.

Hi Amanda - as you've probably already discussed, there are valid points on both sides of the issue - AI or not. Ali also offers some great factors to consider

One bride posted in these forums about how she'd also been apprehensive about outside on-lookers watching their wedding, but then on the day, found it rather endearing - to have strangers watching + smiling - sharing their joy on their Big Day - so it's really all in your perspective

If the resort you choose charges fees for outside vendors, there are always ways around that. Some of our wedding couples have brought us in as their guests - who also happen to be shooting their wedding. Yes, you would need to pay for a room for them for a night or 2, but it's well worth it - to have a professional photographer capture those magical wedding "moments that matter" of your once-in-a-lifetime wedding celebration !

Wishing you all the best with your debate.......knowing there are no worries - whichever you decide, it will be amazing, as each choice has its' own unique charms

Happy planning and wishing you the perfect wedding of your dreams! Enjoy

Thanks so much for the advice! We have been to destination weddings before in cities where guests were spread out which was great but I like the idea of a relaxing weekend and guests being able to find each other on property to get food together, swim, etc. I feel like an AI would allow that more. I guess I'm concerned about budget both for us and our guests. We are looking to have 70-90 people and a wedding of that size the costs could add up at a non AI. It feels like the actual wedding would cost as much as having it at home at that point. Home for us is NYC though so nothing is as expensive as that! The blog post was especially helpful in choosing between resorts.... Amanda

It's definitely about your personal preference. I am booking an all inclusive, but my fi and I love all inclusive. We recently went to a non all inclusive wedding and costs definitely added up, however the bride and groom scheduled a few extra dinners and open bars that they covered. Not necessary but a nice touch! All in all though, we spent much more in food and bev compared to past all inclusive trips. It's tough to please everyone, so we went with our own personal preference!!